Of all the skills that art and design colleges fail to teach graduates, the worst oversight is not teaching grads how to pitch their skills to prospective employers. Talent only goes so far with your typical harried agency owner. And to show your talent, you have to be interesting enough to be invited in the door.

So if you are a newly-graduated designer on the job hunt, here are some tips to gain entré to the most desirable agencies.

Pick Your Job
Just because a particular agency is not advertising an opening is no reason to cross them off your resumé list. The best way to get the great design job you really want is to knock on the door of that high-class agency with the great street-cred and yell, “HEY! I would be a perfect addition to your creative department. Let me show you my book and we’ll talk about how I can contribute to your agency’s success.” Decide where you would like most to work, then go for it.

Research the Agency
Look at the agency’s website. Learn about their culture, employees, work, client list and services. Read (and comment on) their blog; participate on their Facebook page. Scan the trade magazines or websites for news about the agency. You want to be able to speak intelligently about the agency when you make your first call or gain an interview.

Be Different from Your Competition
You may be trying to gain admittance in an area where there are lots of other design grads hunting for the perfect starting slot. Figure out how to make your letter, portfolio and terrific self stand out. This self-branding effort should focus on what you can bring to the agency, not on how spectacular you are as a candidate. It’s about them, not you—just as if they were the client and you were pitching to win their business.

Call the Agency
A phone call will clarify any questions about the agency that you couldn’t find through their website or reading. Ask who to send your resumé to and verify the correct spelling of their name and title. Inquire if you can have the person’s email address. Verify the mailing address. Ask if there are other department members you might contact in lieu of the creative director, to request a portfolio review and feedback on your presentation. Ask some intelligent questions about the agency, and offer a congratulatory comment about their latest account win or marketing campaign. Make friends with the receptionist. Impress him or her, and they may mention you to the creative director or the agency owners.

A Great Cover Letter
Too many form letters are sent to agencies across the country. We’ve all seen them; stilted, formal, dull and repetitive, these letters get no notice at all. Let’s not even discuss the poor writing skills, typos and bad grammar! Spellcheck, people! And ask your English major friend to proofread and edit. If you can’t communicate well on paper, no one is going to waste time responding to your resumé.

In your cover letter, introduce yourself briefly, then comment on the agency’s work, great workplace, and impressive client list. Reference something specific so they know you are seriously interested. Tell the agency how much you would like to be a part of their organization. Then, offer an intriguing “hook” or point of difference. This could be a promise to shortly email a sample of your work, or an idea for an ad for one of their clients, or even something “new,” like a link to your design blog or to a website announcing that design award you won. Then promise to call to schedule a possible interview.

A Strong Resumé
No busy creative director wants to read about every summer job you worked at the burger stand, or a spreadsheet about every piece of design software you ever clicked open for five minutes. Focus on skills and talents that will most apply to your future job as a designer in an exciting ad agency. Eliminate the other stuff. Try to be interesting, intriguing and amusing (but not too weird). List your degree, awards won, any freelance work (in brief) and then offer to send samples of your work. Provide contact info! There is nothing stranger than trying to call a job prospect and getting their grandmother or clueless roommate. Email is best, but a phone number where you can be reliably reached or the caller can leave a voicemail is better.

21st Century Portfolios
Many resumé submitters enclose portfolio samples—often in the form of miniature photocopies that fail to convey your brilliance. Put your portfolio prep dollars into setting up a website and make your portfolio digital. While you’re at it, burn it to a CD or DVD. If you have the skills, add audio to make the “tour” of your work more personal. Do more than just show photos; describe the problem and how you arrived at the solution. Talk about your research and how you approached the problem. Basically, write a “case study” about each sample. Customize your portfolio to each agency you contact. Also, consider putting your portfolio online as part of your Facebook page, or on Flickr or as a YouTube video where you talk about a project from start to finish and show the process you used. Agencies need interactive creatives. Be brilliant. Share your knowledge of social networks, mobile, and video. Show you can do more than just talk about an idea.

(Copyright or watermark your work before posting it online or loading it to CD, to deter anyone from plagiarizing your work.)

Pursue!
A follow-up call to everyone you contact is a MUST! Given the competition for design jobs, the most persistent person is most likely to make the short list. If you can’t get through by phone, send a follow-up email with a PDF of new sample, or a link to your online portfolio. Also, consider a second mailing enclosing a new sample of your work, or a clever 3-D mailer with a gag gift and great piece of copy.

Send another letter reminding the contact about your resumé and interest. Ask for feedback on your work. Inquire whether they offer freelance work and how you can get on their list. Keep contacting the agency until you gain an interview. Do not give up!

Job hunting is very much like agency new business pursuit. The winners are often the most persistent, and definitely the most interesting. Learn how to make your own pitch the most interesting one on the block, then keep adjusting and adapting it until your “bait” gets a bite.